Issues

Stage Details

Legislation -
Placed on Calendar
(Senate)
-
June 13, 2008

Legislation -
Bill Passed
(House)
(274-137) -
June 12, 2008(Key vote)

Title: Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008

Vote Result

Yea Votes

Nay Votes

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that allows states to enter into an agreement with the federal government to extend unemployment compensation for individuals who have already received the maximum regular compensation under state law.

Highlights:

Allows individuals who have no rights to federal or state regular unemployment compensation, or who have exhausted their rights to federal or state regular compensation, to receive emergency unemployment compensation for an additional 13 weeks (Sec. 2).

Establishes the weekly benefit amount of emergency unemployment compensation as equal to the amount of regular unemployment compensation during the regular benefit year (Sec. 2).

States that the total emergency benefits received will be equal to the lesser of either 50 percent of the total amount of regular compensation or 13 times the average weekly regular compensation (Sec. 3).

Provides that emergency unemployment compensation shall last an additional 13 weeks, for a total of 26 weeks, for states that are in an extended benefit period, as defined by high unemployment rates (Sec. 3).

States that the federal government shall pay 100 percent of the costs of emergency unemployment to states from the general fund (Sec. 4).

Punishes individuals who receive emergency unemployment compensation under false pretenses with a fine or up to 5 years in prison (Sec. 6).